I didn't grow up using herbs for seasoning, especially fresh herbs. In the past few years, I've really gotten better at seasoning my food with things beside salt, butter, and cheese. Hubs introduced me to cilantro, an AMAZING herb used fresh in many Latin American dishes. Last year I grew some just because he liked it. We used it for tacos on Wednesday, but I could never find another use for it. This year we had volunteer cilantro EVERYWHERE and I am using it in anything & everything that includes taco seasoning or salsa.

Volunteer cilantro that came up this Spring.

Cilantro is a unique herb, as most of the flavor is lost when it is dried. Therefore, cilantro must be frozen to preserve the maximum amount of flavor. First cut the cilantro into pieces with a pair of scissors, then sprinkle (or stuff!) it into ice cube trays. Add water and freeze. The cilantro cubes can be put in a freezer bag and taken out individually to use when cooking. I did this last year with my basil pesto, and it worked great.

After the cilantro has bolted (gone to seed), be sure to save some of the seeds. The seeds are called "coriander" and can also be used to season food. You can plant the seeds next year, though as I mentioned before, cilantro readily reseeds itself.

I have a cilantro patch that is self-sustaining-- it re-seeds itself and I have 2-3 cilantro "crops" each summer. I love it with Mex food but also use it in salads and marinated bean salads. Cilantro-lime is a great flavor combo.

Reply

Leave a Reply.

FREE STUFF!

What prizes would you like to see in my monthly giveaway?Let me know HERE.